Monday, January 11, 2016

Stephanie!!” her mother screamed her name from outside their one bedroom flat.“You better don’t keep
me waiting! Whether you like it or not, we are going to see our pastor!”

Twenty-year-old Stephanie, slender and very pretty was
already dressed in a long yellow gown grumbled in their living room. She was
not in the mood to follow her mom to see their pastor, not now or forever. If
she had a place to run to before this day, she would have but she had no choice
but to follow her mother.

She went to the entrance door and opened it. “Mummy why are you shouting?” she asked. “Have you forgotten we are not the only one living in
this compound?”

“Yes we have to.” she replied. “The man of God is already
waiting for us.”

“Today is not Sunday nah and you don’t have to tell him.”

“Let go!!” Stephanie stepped by the side of her mother and
they walked out of the compound.The two
of them looked for a bike man, they saw one and negotiated an amount for him to take them
to their destination.Mother and
daughter did not a say a word to each other until they reached the front of the
church. They came down from the bike, mama Stephanie paid the fare.

As they were about to enter, Stephanie pleaded with her
mother. “Mom you don’t have to tell the pastor.”

“I have every right!” she uttered. “He has to know what you
did.”

“I thought you have forgiven me?”

“I have forgiven you my daughter,” she said. “But Pastor Nelson
have to know. He has to preach to you personally for you to change.”

“But I have changed. I broke up with Kenneth like you
advised me to.”’

“Having an abortion is a sin and I don’t want you to get
pregnant again!”

“But Kenneth was the one helping us with money ever since
papa died,” Stephanie said, almost in tears. “How much have pastor Nelson
contributed since papa left us? He drives big cars, his wife wears the most
expensive dresses and we his church members live like paupers.”

Her mother face fell as Stephanie reminded her of her late
husband. “Kenneth said he wanted to help us, he never told me he was your
boyfriend.”

“And I have left him!”

“Pastor Nelson must hear this! How can you get pregnant and
have an abortion?”

“I am sorry it happened mama.”

“I have failed as a mother,” she said soberly. “If only your
father was alive, maybe this won’t have happened.”

“It is not your fault and I have learnt my lesson.”

Mrs. Nkem did not say anything but dragged Stephanie’s hand
and whisked her inside the compound of the church. Stephanie was not happy with
her mother. She regretted telling her mother about the abortion she did a week
ago. They met the secretary of the pastor, a young man who went in to inform
the man of God they were around. He agreed for them to come in.

Fair complexion Pastor Nelson, a fifty-year-old man in a
black suit welcomed them. His hair was black and curly. The women sat down and Mrs.
Nkem went straight to the point and narrated everything to the pastor.

“I am disappointed in you Stephanie,” he said. “How could
you get pregnant and commit a terrible sin?”

She looked down, trying not to make eye contact with him. She was
ashamed of herself. “I am sorry sir.”

“Don’t you know you are very young to have a boyfriend? You
should concentrate more on your studies.”

“I will sir.”

He shook his head and began to preach to her. He quoted
verses in the bible against abortion and advised her never to commit such evil
again. He called her a murderer. He told her to fast for three days and ask God for forgiveness.

Mrs. Nkem thanked him and she left with her daughter.
Stephanie was still annoyed with her mother. She refused to eat dinner
and lied to her mother that she wouldstart the fasting the next day.

********

The following morning, Stephanie went to meet her mother in
the kitchen.

“I will be going back to school tomorrow,” she said. “I need
my school fees.”

Her mother was surprised. “I thought they have not started
asking you for your fees.”

“They have started.” She said with a frown on her face. “The
person paying my fees is no longer wanted in this house, you have to pay.”

She eyed her daughter. “But I don’t have the money now.”

“We will be starting our second semester exam soon. I don't want any carry over.”

“You have to be patient my daughter.”

“But…”

“Please my daughter,” she said. “Give me time.”

Stephanie hissed and walked out. She went to her room to put
on one of her outing clothes and informed her mother she was going to see her
course mate. Mrs. Nkem agreed. Stephanie went to her best friend’s house
Bidemi. When she got there, she was stunned when the gateman refused to let her
enter. She called her friend on the phone who came out with her mother.

Stephanie burst into tears. She could not believe her friend told her mother about having an abortion. Bidemi only stared at her without saying anything. The
sound of a car drove towards them, it was her friend’s father. A sixty-one-year old
man. He was good looking despite his age.

“What is going on?” he asked after he came out from his car.

Bidemi’s mother told her about Stephanie having an abortion.

“Is that why you don’t want her in?” he asked.

“I don’t want her near my daughter and this house again!!”
She directed the gateman to open the gate for her husband and ordered him to
throw Stephanie from the front of their house.

Stephanie with tears in her eyes walked away without opening
her mouth to talk. If only Bidemi’s parents knew their daughter had
committed five abortions. They didn’t even know it was their daughter that took
her to the doctor that removed her pregnancy. If she had known in the past, she
would have accepted to date Bidemi’s father when he asked her to date him. He
promised to take good care of her and even make her his second wife but she
refused because of her friendship with Bidemi and the respect she had for
Bidemi’s mother.

As Stephanie sauntered away in pain and resentment, she
thought of revenge.

Out of annoyance, she decided to visit a rich course mate
who wanted to introduce her to wealthy men for runs.

“So now that they have showed you pepper,” Uwa said in her
furnished living room. She was chewing gum. “You ran to me.”

Stephanie fell on her knees. “I am sorry. I seriously need
your help! I need to pay my school fees and I have to be taking care of myself.
I do not want to depend on my mother again.”

“Stand up.” She said softly. Stephanie rose and sat down
opposite her. “Are you ready for the business?”

She nodded quickly. “Yes.”

“No problem,” she said. ‘I will help you but can you dance?”

“Yes I can.” She answered. “But I thought…”

“Let me finish madam. I will take you to special club
tonight. I will give you a mask to wear.”

“A mask?”

“Yes. The men who wants to sleep with us will choose
according to how we roll our waist as we dance.”

“Must we wear mask?” Stephanie asked.

“Yes. Sometimes pretty girls are not the ones that are good
in bed. They are not interested in the face but the sweetness down there. You
know what I mean.”

She nodded repeatedly.

“Do you have a skimpy dress to wear?” Uwa asked.

“Not really.”

“I will find something for you to wear,” she said. “The pay
is one hundred and fifty thousand naira and I am entitled to fifty thousand for
helping you.”

“One hundred thousand is enough for me.” she said eagerly.

“You can do it three times a week and that's three hundred
thousand naira.”

“Thank you Uwa.”

********

Mrs. Nkem called her daughter to find out where she was.
Stephanie lied she was visiting a sick friend at the hospital. She promised to
return the next day.

“Pray before you sleep.” She said over the phone to her
daughter.

“I will mother.”

At 9:30 pm, Stephanie dressed in a purple-cropped top, white
short pants and red high heels. Uwa dressed in a short black dress and red
heels. Uwa drove to the club where girls of different size, shape and height
were ready to swing their waist.

It was a bit dark and noisy. A fat woman ordered the girls to
dance and they began to shake their buttocks. As they dance, the men seated
together, watching them began to point at the girls they wanted. A man choose
Stephanie and a young lady took her to a room located inside the building of
the club.

The lady left Stephanie and she was all alone in the room. She
sat down on the bed, a bit nervous. She was still wearing her mask when the man
opened the door and walked in.

She turned to look at the man she wanted to be have sex with and
her heart dropped! She was taken aback!

“Pastor Nelson!!!” she yelled his name and removed her mask.

He could not speak but stood like a log of wood.

Stephanie rose on her feet and he could detect the anger
written on her face. “Mr. Preacher! I don’t need to beat around the bush,
kindly bring out your cheque book and write a huge amount of money if not, I won’t
hesitate to tell my mother. And I know her, she would tell the congregation.”

“Ple. . ase. please d.. don’t do this.” He stammered.

“I will leave if you don’t give me what I want!!”

He rushed to the wardrobe and took out his bag. He brought
out five bundles of money. “This is five hundred thousand, please don’t say a
word to anyone or your mother.”

“I won’t.” she said and grabbed the money. “I need a bag to
put this.”

He gave her his bag.

She put the money inside, carried it and walked to the door.
She glared at him.

“I am disappointed in you pastor Nelson,” she said. “How can
you be involved in this? You are committing a terrible sin. You need to pray
and ask God for forgiveness. Fast for 21 days!! Shame on you!”

Stephanie walked out of the room. She had plans to use the
money wisely and when the money finish, she would pay a visit to the pastor in
his office. A gateway to free money.

Jackpot of life! Being broke doesn't mk pple think straight especially wen dere r pending bills to be settled!The pastor never bothered to help dem and dats exactly how life is! Pple won't help but are fast in criticizing your means of livelihood!

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Series coming up on my blog later.....

**********

Blast from the past!

A couple still trying to conceive relocated back to their old neighborhood. They reconnected with relatives, friends and ex-lovers. Soon, one of them began to die one after the other. Who is killing them? Who will die next? Will anyone survive and can anybody catch the killer?

Redemption!

When Christopher Falana finds out that his father he never met might not have committed suicide but was likely murdered, he would do everything to find evidence and dig out things about him from the people he trusted. Christopher never knew he was dining with the enemy.

Illegitimate!

Her large heart was shattered! The people she adored betrayed her when she lost a loved one. Everything she owned was taken from her. She would have to pick out the pieces of her broken heart, place them together and lock it with a key. She was prepared to plot for vengeance, fight back and get what rightfully belongs to her. Revenge was her only mission. Would she be able to love a man?

Ultimate Betrayal!

Samantha will have to go back and reconcile with her family to save her new boyfriend from the hands of her powerful father and ambitious brothers. She had no idea she would have to save herself first.